Former bank to be turned into housing

A rejigged plan to convert a former Herefordshire bank into housing has been approved.

The original plan to convert the Barclays Bank building on Gloucester Road, Ross-on-Wye, was rejected earlier this year as creating “sub-standard accommodation” in the basement, “without adequate natural light or ventilation”.

But now a new proposal for the building, also submitted by a Mr C Payne, has been given the go-ahead by Herefordshire Council planners.

As before, it will divide the ground floor to create two shops, each with a staff room and toilet, while the first floor becomes two flats, with a further one-bedroom “studio” flat created in the basement.

But the concerns over the basement flat which led to the original refusal have been addressed by redesigning its layout, planning officer Gemma Webster said.

“The internal daylight assessment demonstrates that there is now sufficient light,” she concluded. “This is supported by the lack of objection from the environmental health officer.”

The amended plans also show that solar PV panels previously shown on the south-facing roof, the Gloucester Road side, have been removed, “ in order to preserve the visual amenity of the conservation area”, Mrs Webster added.